


Future of the Force

by IcefireGrace



Category: Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. (TV), Star Wars - All Media Types
Genre: AU, Alternate Universe, Canon Divergence Post Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. Season 6, Crossover, F/M, Post-Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker, Spoilers
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-03-14
Updated: 2020-03-28
Packaged: 2021-03-01 03:49:01
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 11
Words: 16,431
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/23138752
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/IcefireGrace/pseuds/IcefireGrace
Summary: While working on his "ShawDrive", Deke accidentally causes an accident that transports him a long, long time ago in a galaxy far, far away. He encounters a mysterious woman who may be the only help he has to get home. Meanwhile, the S.H.I.E.L.D team try to figure out a way to bring him back. Set 50 years after the Skywalker Saga.
Relationships: Deke Shaw & Agents of SHIELD Team, Deke Shaw & Skye | Daisy Johnson, Deke Shaw/Original Female Character, Leo Fitz & Deke Shaw & Jemma Simmons, Leo Fitz/Jemma Simmons, Padmé Amidala/Anakin Skywalker, Rey/Ben Solo | Kylo Ren
Comments: 2
Kudos: 6





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> SPOILERS AHEAD. Set after season 6 of Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. but the Chronicoms didn't attack and everyone is together in the Lighthouse. Coulson is in his Chronicom – LMD form. There is no such thing as the Star Wars movies in this universe (so no Star Wars references from super-fan Coulson lol). It also takes place 50 years after the Skywalker Saga. In this version, Ben didn't die, and he and Rey ended up together. Also, I'm not including all the clone nonsense that we learnt from The Rise of Skywalker novelization. Also, there's no such thing as Force Heal. Palpatine is dead and gone and will not come back haha. Some inspiration is drawn from Star Wars Legends, along with some names and minor references/characters. Not sure when I'll update, really busy with school and stuff but I'll try updating at least once a week. Let me know what you think and if you like it...or even if you hate it. I would appreciate the criticism. :) I have also put this on fanfiction.net
> 
> 7/02/2021: This fic has NOT been abandoned don’t worry. Life just gets in the way sometimes. I’m not sure when I’ll be able to update. Meanwhile, I’ll be editing a few chapters, fixing the format and adding some sentences that make it more readable. Thank you so much for the support and patience 😊

All Deke could remember was something malfunctioning in his patent-pending jump drive while he was having an argument with Fitz – they were always arguing – while Simmons tried to calm them both down. There was a blinding flash of light and the last thing he saw was his grandparents’ horrified faces before he landed here. Wherever “here” was.

He seemed to be in a dark cave, and he couldn’t see a single thing. He placed his hands on the cave walls and started feeling his way around. Unfortunately, he tripped on something and fell hard on whatever it was. He tried to get his bearings and caught site of something shiny, immediately reaching for it and pulling it out of what seemed to be child-sized robes. It was a shiny colourless crystal that provided some light in this dark cave. He eyed it for a moment, not recognizing its foreign structure but used its light to look around. He recoiled in horror when he realised what he fell on. It was a tiny hooded dead creature that had lifeless glowing eyes under its hood.

He continued to use the crystal to shed some light around the cave and discovered many similar creatures lying on the cave floor. All dead. They seemed to have been cut down by a burning laser of some sort. He was getting more confused by the second. Where in the world was he? Was he even still on Earth? He was thankful for the crystal light as he managed to find a bright opening further along the cave and slowly made his way towards it. As he got closer, he could feel the extreme heat of the surroundings outside on his skin. This really wasn’t his day. He stopped for a moment and contemplated if he should even go outside. It was too bright and hurt his eyes after spending time in a dark cave. What if Fitz and Simmons figured out a way to get him back and he wasn’t even there? This really sucked. He didn’t survive an alternate future apocalyptic hellscape just to end up in another hotter one.

  
He sighed and made his decision to continue onward and immediately regretted it when he went outside. The heat was almost unbearable, and his mouth was immediately parched just staring at the rocky desert canyons around him. He made the mistake of looking up and the two suns almost blinded him.  
“Wait. Two suns?!” He exclaimed to himself. “You’ve gotta be kidding me,” he muttered. So, he was on some unknown desert planet, with creepy murdered creatures behind him, a weird shiny crystal and no water. This just got better by the second. He shielded his eyes and walked forward and of course immediately tripped on a rock. He landed hard on the ground and considered not getting up.

  
“Why me? Why does this always happen to me?” He said, feeling sorry for himself. He suddenly heard a chuckle behind him and immediately stood up, startled, trying to find the source of it.

  
“Do you always find yourself in situations like this?” A woman asked. Deke turned to his right and his breath almost caught in his throat. How had he not noticed her before this? The woman was beautiful. She had long dark hair with a single braid, embroidered with reddish gold between her free locks. It somehow gave the illusion that she had a stream of fire braided into her hair. She had some really weird fashion sense though. She was covered in black with fitted trousers and a weird goth blouse of some sort. It was long-sleeved and split in the middle, so it looked as if she had to button it up. It ended in a sort of V-shape, just enough to cover her midriff, while the ends and back flowed down to just above her ankles. It looked like a weird dress-cape type thing. She looked like a dark princess of the underworld. At her side hung a cylindrical device, also black like the rest of her outfit. The only startling pop of colour were her blue eyes which seemed to contain years of sorrow and pain as well as darkness and regret, although she couldn’t have been much older than 25. Deke was immediately on guard, even though he was immensely attracted to her, but something was off.

  
“I…I didn’t see you there,” he said cautiously, eyeing the cylindrical device at her side. He was 60% sure it was a weapon.

  
“Where are you from? Its obvious you’ve never been to Tatooine. It seems like you didn’t even know you were here,” the woman said, still smiling but there was something about her smile that unnerved Deke. He stayed silent, still eyeing her, unsure of how to respond. He looked around, trying to find a path to escape if he had to.

  
“You’re afraid of me,” the woman continued, and Deke was taken aback. He cautiously moved backwards.

  
“I’m not afraid,” Deke lied. She looked him over once and her smile faded, there seemed to be sadness in her eyes. He noticed traces of faded tear tracks on her face. Was she crying before she found him? Deke paused, trying to gauge her thoughts.

  
“What is that in your hand that you’re clenching so tightly?” The woman asked him. Deke frowned, he didn’t realise his hand was balled into a fist, totally forgetting about the crystal. He opened his fist and extended his hand towards her, showing it to her. She stared at the crystal for a moment before looking him straight in the eyes.

  
“That crystal belongs to me. How did you find it?” She asked, completely expressionless. Deke didn’t know if he should tell her or not but honestly, he just wanted to survive, and he’d gladly give her the crystal if she wanted it so much.

  
“I found it in the cave. It was really dark. This was the only thing that helped me get out of there,” Deke told her honestly.

  
“I was just in that cave. I searched everywhere. I didn’t find it.”

  
“So, it was you that killed those weird…things. What are they?” Deke asked, still cautious.

  
“They’re called Jawas. I had to kill them. They stole the crystal from me. They are vicious and dangerous creatures that attack you. I was defending myself, “the woman said. She sounded earnest enough, but something was still off, and Deke couldn’t quite place what it was.

  
“Where are you from?” She asked again, but Deke sighed. He didn’t even know how to answer that.

  
“You wouldn’t believe me even if I told you,” Deke said, walking towards her and offering the crystal in his hand. She smiled at him again and this time the smile actually reached her eyes.

  
“Why don’t I get you a drink and you can tell me what happened. Maybe I can help you,” she said, sounding sympathetic as she took the crystal and fastened it on a chain around her neck. Deke hesitated as he eyed the device at her side. She saw him looking.

  
“It is called a lightsaber,” she said as she took it from her side and handed it to him. He was shocked. “Don’t activate it though. Its dangerous,” she continued. Deke examined it in awe, and he relaxed considerably. She seemed trustworthy - at least, for the moment - and maybe she could help him figure out a way to get home. He handed it back to her.

  
“Thank you. My name is Deke Shaw. Who are you?” Deke asked.

  
“My name is Jaina Solo Skywalker. It was nice to meet you, Deke.”


	2. Chapter 2

Deke was laughing heartily as he and Jaina talked until they were both hoarse. Jaina had brought him aboard what she called a Star Destroyer. He was in awe at this huge ship with firepower he couldn’t even dream of. There seemed to be staff and personnel aboard the ship. It honestly looked like the navy, part of a military operation. Jaina seemed to be their general or leader, and they kept referring to her as “Lady Amenia”. Deke asked her about it but Jaina dismissed it and told him it was just her title. Deke was a little confused, but he let it slide.   
He realised he was once again in space which he was a little put off by, but Jaina’s presence somehow made it better. She led him to her quarters and asked him to begin his story. He was nervous at first, but she poured him a glass of “fire-water” which helped. He told her what had happened to him and about his family, including his grandparents who were the same age as him. He admitted it was very weird. She laughed at his jokes and was so easy to talk to. In turn, she told him about this galaxy and the different systems that belonged to the New Galactic Republic. He was hanging on to every word especially when she talked about their technology and light-speed travel.  
Jaina also theorized that he might have been displaced not only through space but time as well, as she had never heard of a planet called Earth before. Then again, Earth probably belonged to a galaxy in the far outer regions of space, explaining why she had never heard of it. Deke was extremely upset by this and he had no clue how to even begin finding his way back. Jaina noticed his expression and comforted him, assuring him that there was always hope. She was the first person in a long time who really seemed to understand him. However, whenever he asked about her, she closed herself off and told a joke instead, directing a question back to him. She was such a mystery. He didn’t mind though, he’d never met a woman quite like her since…well, since Daisy. He was completely smitten with Jaina even though he somehow knew in the back of his mind that she’d probably be the death of him. He pushed all the worrying thoughts out of his head and just concentrated on her beautiful smile and the way her hair flowed against her shoulders. As she talked, he noticed her fingering the crystal he gave her and something that looked like a small wooden charm that had carvings on it. He didn’t notice it on her chain before. She saw him eyeing it and smiled.  
“It’s a Japor Snippet,” she told Deke. “My great-great grandfather; Anakin Skywalker gave it to his wife, Padmé Amidala as a sign of his undying love for her. It was buried with her, but I have it now,” she continued, but immediately seemed to regret telling him that. Deke was a little hurt. He decided to try his luck again and ask her more about herself.  
“Why don’t you like to talk about your family?” Deke asked. Jaina looked away and was closed off again but she saw the earnest expression on his face and sighed, giving in.  
“My family…is complicated. I have a powerful family and I come from a long line of…let’s just call them screw-ups. They were weak. And that weakness had consequences. I never want to be weak…” Jaina said, trailing off, almost to herself.  
“I don’t think you’re weak,” Deke said, gently taking her hand in his. She stared at him but didn’t pull away. “In fact, based on the short time I’ve gotten to know you, I think you may be one of the strongest women I know,” he continued.  
Deke looked into her eyes and all he could see was a pool of beautiful blue. He didn’t understand why he was so cautious when he met her. She was amazing. He couldn’t resist, he leaned forward and gently kissed her, asking for permission. She was hesitant at first and he made to pull back, but she closed the distance between them and kissed him back passionately. She pulled him to her bed and for a while, they lost themselves in each other, with no thoughts of pain or the unknown future that inevitably lay ahead.

***

Deke awoke suddenly and realised he was engulfed in darkness. He reached around the covers, but he couldn’t feel Jaina next to him. He caught site of a window farther to the right of the bed and was bathed in the light of distant stars shining far away. He wondered if Earth’s Sun was among them. At that moment, he caught a glimpse of a strange red light emanating from a door that was slightly ajar on his left. He immediately sat up and wiped the sleep from his eyes. This was so strange. He hadn’t noticed it before. He untangled himself from the covers, put on his clothes and cautiously walked towards the door, opening it a little more. He almost thought he was caught in a nightmare, but he couldn’t possibly have imagined something like what he was looking at right now. Jaina had on a black robe and she was bathed in crimson light, the exact colour of blood. Deke shuddered at the thought. She seemed to be talking to some kind of floating pyramidal thing, but it was opened, and the sides were floating beside it. The red light came from inside the device, as well as the creepiest voice he had ever heard in his life. It was talking to Jaina, seemingly reprimanding her for something.  
“Foolish child. The Sith rely on their passions but they do not let down their guard for every inconsequential boy they meet!” The voice said. Deke realised the voice was talking about him and he listened intently.  
“I’m sorry, Lord Plagueis, but I felt connected to him. He may yet be useful,” Jaina replied, bowing her head.  
“Hmmm. You said he discovered the lost Skywalker Saber?” the Voice asked.  
“He discovered the kyber crystal inside it, my lord. Jawas had found the lightsaber near the Lars homestead on Tatooine where my grandparents had buried it and stripped it down. I disposed of the Jawas and searched their bodies, but I found no crystal,” Jaina said. Deke stiffened. She lied to him. She murdered those creatures for…the crystal?   
“The crystal may have shielded itself from you. No matter, you have it in your possession. It is a weapon of light after all, and you only have darkness in your heart, my young apprentice,” the Voice told her. It sounded proud.  
“Yes, my lord. What should I do about Deke? I have sensed that he is not Force Sensitive, and I believe his story that he was displaced here from a different galaxy and possibly a different time,” Jaina said, clutching the crystal and the Japor Snippet in her palm.  
“He may yet be useful. The moment he isn’t, dispose of him as well,” the Voice told Jaina. Deke thought she was going to protest but she remained silent. He couldn’t believe what he was hearing. The fear coupled with the rage and hurt at Jaina’s betrayal practically radiated off him. How could she have used him like that? Suddenly, he realised the Voice was silent, like it was sensing something.  
“I feel…someone is watching us,” it suddenly said. Deke immediately bolted before Jaina could turn her head. Good thing he was dressed. He pulled the door that led to the outside of Jaina’s quarters open and didn’t stop running. He had to find the escape pods and jettison himself off somewhere. He felt completely hopeless and alone. Jaina’s words had cut him to the bone and the hurt was unbearable. He had never felt this way about a woman before. Suddenly, the alarms were blaring and not too soon after, he saw soldiers in red armour and blasters chasing after him. Jaina had called them Sith Troopers. He was starting to figure out that they weren’t exactly the good guys.  
Deke kept running and hiding behind corridors, trying to avoid the troopers. This was what he was good at: surviving. He was determined to escape and then…and then what? He was trapped here with no way home. This line of thought caused him to lose focus and he turned a corridor without caution. The Sith Troopers found him and started shooting at him with stun blasters. He dodged as best he could, concentrating on the fight in front of him, which unfortunately allowed a trooper to sneak behind him and hit him on the head hard with his blaster. Deke fell on the floor, clutching his head in agony. He didn’t even have the strength to get up. He saw a figure approaching him and he just knew it was Jaina. She had her lightsaber in her hand, but it wasn’t ignited.  
“Lady Amenia, what do we do with him?” the Sith Trooper asked, forcing Deke into a kneeling position. Jaina – or Amenia – or whatever her name was, stood silently in front of him. Deke forced himself to look into her eyes, showing her the immense hurt he felt at what she had done. He caught a twinge of regret and sadness from her before she looked away.  
“Put him in the brig with the other prisoner,” Jaina told the trooper. He obliged and dragged Deke to the prison block and opened a cell door, tossing him inside. The last thing Deke felt was the pain in his head before he succumbed into unconsciousness.


	3. Chapter 3

The Lighthouse

“What happened?!” Daisy yelled, barging into the 21st floor where Deke had his illegal secret company set up. She was closely followed by Agent Khan who had notified her of the chaos. Good thing Director Mack wasn’t here. He was on mission with LMD Coulson and YoYo. May had a minor injury and was still in recovery after their battle with Izel. Daisy was left here to deal with Deke.   
She rushed over to FitzSimmons who were both concentrating hard and seemed to be working on the “ShawDrive”. That thing was worth more trouble than good. They were lost in their sciency language daze thing again, theorizing and trying to find a solution to something. Speaking English but not English. Daisy rolled her eyes.   
“Guys! Stop FitzSimmons-ing! Tell me what happened!”   
“Daisy, we have no idea what happened. Fitz and Deke were arguing – “  
“– well he didn’t want to listen to me! I was trying to warn him about – “  
“Ugh Fitz! This is hardly the time – “  
“Guys! Please!” Daisy stopped them, getting impatient and more than a little worried now. “Simmons, what happened?” Daisy asked her again. She seemed a lot calmer than Fitz at the moment. He looked quite frantic and she was sure she wouldn’t get a straight answer from him.  
“As I was saying before, Fitz and Deke were arguing about the jump drive because we weren’t exactly sure how it worked. Its alien technology after all. I don’t know what Deke was doing but he must’ve accidentally triggered something or attached something the wrong way and…and he just…” Simmons trailed off, looking more despondent than ever. Daisy rubbed her back, comforting her.  
“He’s fine. I know it. He’s Deke,” Daisy said with a smirk, trying to reassure her.  
“Yeah well, its gonna take weeks to figure out how this device works and I don’t even know how long it would take to figure out a way to bring Deke home,” Fitz told her, not looking up from the jump drive.  
“Hey if I know anything, I know you guys will figure this out okay? I’ll help in any way I can. When Mack gets back, we could ask LMD Coulson as well. I’m sure he’d be helpful,” Daisy told them  
“Let’s hope so,” Fitz said, finally looking up from the device. 

***

Deke was beginning to regain consciousness and was thinly aware of his surroundings. He still had his eyes closed but for some reason he could feel someone’s presence watching him. His eyes immediately shot open and the first thing he saw was a hooded figure looming above.  
“GAAAAAHHHH!” Deke screamed and shot backwards into the wall, hitting his already injured head once again. He clutched it in pain, almost throwing up. He was starting to think he might have several concussions.  
“Calm down!” the figure said to him, reaching his hand towards Deke but he was having none of it and immediately stood up, ready to defend himself. He was never trusting another person ever again.  
“Stay back hood-dude! I have had enough of this and I’m not afraid to kick your ass!” Deke exclaimed, putting up his arms, ready to fight if he had to.  
“That’s rude,” the figure said, indignantly, lowering his hood. Deke was surprised enough to lower his arms. The figure was an old man, possibly around 70 years old but he looked pretty spry for his age. He had dark skin and sorrowful dark eyes as if he were carrying a heavy burden. Despite that, the sides of his eyes were crinkly, indicating he probably smiled a lot too. Deke frowned at him.  
“Well, why were you being all creepy and hovering over me like that?” Deke asked, still suspicious even though this man seemed to bear no ill will towards him.  
“I was checking if you had a serious head injury. You don’t. Just a nasty bump,” the old man said. “I’m a prisoner like you. Why would I want to hurt you?” The man continued.  
“I’m not taking any chances. The moment I hear a voice coming out of a triangle…that’s just too far for me, “Deke said, almost to himself. He expected the old man to be somewhat confused, but he only narrowed his eyes at Deke. They sat quietly for a while before the old man broke the silence.  
“Got a name, kid?” He asked  
“It’s Deke Shaw. And you?”  
“Finn,” he replied. Deke nodded and they sat there together in silence once more. It was slightly awkward.  
“So, why’d you end up in here anyways?” Deke asked Finn but he just looked away. What was it with everyone being closed off and gloomy? Deke started to hate this galaxy more and more. “Look, since we’re going to be stuck together, we might as well work together to figure a way out of here,” Deke continued. Finn sighed and just stared at him.  
“You know I think I may have had a dream about you,” Finn said suddenly. Deke didn’t even know how to respond to that,  
“You…you had a dream? About me?”  
“At first I dismissed it. Visions from the Force must be dealt with caution but then when they dumped you in here two days ago – “  
“– I was out for two days?” Deke interrupted. Finn frowned at him.   
“Sorry go on,” Deke said.  
“Well, I think I saw you in my dream. I’ve never sensed the future before. My feelings tell me you have an important part to play. So do I. Whatever that is…I guess we’ll find out,” Finn said, more to himself than to Deke. Deke was silent. He was just getting more and more confused by the second. He was tempted to dismiss Finn’s words as the ramblings of a crazy old man, but Deke had seen a lot of crazy things in his life and it would be massively ignorant on his part to completely disregard him. Deke just sighed.  
“Listen, I don’t know what you mean by the “Force” and I can’t pretend that I’m not completely freaked out by you, but the good thing is, I’m really smart. Not saying that to brag – ok maybe a little – but I’m saying it because I think I may be able to get us out of here and I may need your help,” Deke said. Finn was silent for a moment but nodded.  
“There’s a control panel over there but of course its useless from the inside,” Finn said pointing to the right of the wall.  
“Okay. We can work with that,” Deke said and grinned.


	4. Chapter 4

“We can’t work with that at all!” Deke exclaimed, feeling hopeless after the third day of trying to rewire the access control panel to give them control from the inside. He sat down, frustrated and realised that Finn had his eyes closed and was sitting cross-legged.  
“What the hell are you doing? We’re stuck here!” Deke said, trying to get Finn’s attention. He stayed silent and Deke sighed.  
“Well, this is a prison after all. It’s not going to be easy to escape. You claimed to be smart. The solution will present itself to you if that is true,” Finn suddenly replied, without opening his eyes. “And I’m meditating,” he added, almost as an afterthought.  
“Well I am smart and why the hell are you meditating at a time like this?” Deke complained, he couldn’t stand this tight space anymore. He spent his entire life in a confined space just like this and he couldn’t believe he was in another one. He was getting more and more claustrophobic as the days went by.  
At that, Finn opened his eyes and looked at Deke. “I have to say, it’s weird that we’re able to understand each other.”  
“Uh…what do you mean? I’m speaking English, just like you. Of course, we can understand each other,” Deke said, confused at the direction this conversation was going.  
“You’re speaking Galactic Basic. The official language of our galaxy,” Finn replied.  
“How can I understand you then?”  
“I don’t know. Where did you say you came from again?” Finn asked  
“I told you, the planet Earth in a galaxy called the Milky Way,” Deke replied. Finn was silent and seemed to be deep in thought.  
“And you say Lady Amenia thought you had been displaced through time as well as space?” Finn asked again  
“Yeah…I guess. Why?”  
“I think I may begin to have an inkling of why she put us in the same cell now,” Finn told him but didn’t elaborate.  
“Are you…gonna share that theory?”  
“I don’t know. All I can say is, I don’t think you would be safe even if you somehow managed to return to your time and your galaxy,” Finn said, not looking at Deke.  
“That doesn’t sound incredibly ominous at all. I think I may even sleep well tonight,” Deke retorted. Finn didn’t respond and instead stared silently ahead. Deke didn’t think he was looking at anything in particular but it seemed as if he was remembering some long-lost memory that somehow made his eyes look even sadder.  
“I must continue my meditation now,” Finn said, almost absentmindedly.  
“Ya know, I tried that whole meditation thing, even had a shaman cleanse my office when I had my company…gotta say it did not help me much. Why are you meditating anyway?” Deke asked Finn.  
“I am trying to focus on my emotions and be honest about my feelings. I’m trying to let go of them and let the Force fill me instead,” Finn told Deke, crossing his legs once more.  
“What exactly do you mean by the Force? Is it something to do with that red demon thing Jaina was talking to?” Deke asked.  
“The Force is an energy field that connects everything in the Universe. It also binds everything together and give the Jedi their power. And yes, what you saw was the consciousness of a long-forgotten, powerful Sith Lord. Where there is light, there is also darkness. Such is the way of things,” Finn said calmly, but there was a hint of something else in his voice that Deke couldn’t quite place. It almost sounded like regret.  
“Great so there’s space magic now,” Deke muttered to himself. Finn actually chuckled at his comment.  
“It can be scientific as well. The midi-chlorians are microscopic, sentient life-forms that share a symbiotic relationship with the Force.”  
“I’m a scientist – kinda – and I’ve never heard of midi-chlorians before.”  
“I don’t have all the answers, kid. If I had to guess, you don’t have the technology to detect them…or they shielded themselves from you. Only the most powerful Force Sensitive individuals have high midi-chlorian counts. The highest known midi-chlorian count was over 20000, possessed by the Chosen One, Jedi Knight Anakin Skywalker,” Finn replied.  
“The Chosen One? And there’s that name again. Skywalker. That red demon was obsessed with something called a kyber crystal and it belonged to Skywalker, I think. He was Jaina’s great-great grandfather, wasn’t he?”  
“It’s a complicated story, but yes, Anakin Skywalker was the destined Chosen One to bring balance to the Force by destroying the Sith, but instead he fell from the light and became Darth Vader, one of the most feared Sith Lords in the galaxy. Instead of destroying the Sith, he destroyed the Jedi. There was still hope however, when his son Luke Skywalker managed to reach the remaining light in his father which caused Anakin to return and kill his master, Emperor Palpatine, otherwise known as Darth Sidious, sacrificing himself to save his son and ending the reign of the Sith. He fulfilled his destiny and brought balance to the Force…for the time being,” Finn explained.  
“For the time being?” Deke asked.  
“Well, that’s another complicated story. Palpatine hadn’t exactly died and his spirit had remained and was residing on the Sith planet of Exegol. For a long time, he was influencing the mind of Ben Solo, even from inside the womb of his mother, Princess Leia Organa. She was the daughter of Vader and the twin sister of Luke Skywalker. With Vader’s blood in his veins and the damaging whispers from Palpatine’s spirit, Ben Solo turned to the Dark Side and became the feared Kylo Ren. Palpatine was looking to possess a new body and he thought it would be Ben as he had the mighty Skywalker blood running through his veins. So Palpatine groomed him to be an excellent host for his spirit, using him and tormenting him until he believed he was too far gone to ever come home to his parents. It also led to him murdering his own father, Han Solo. It was an act that was supposed to end the conflict within him but instead it split his already tormented self to the bone.”  
“Jeez, and I thought the Kardashians were dramatic,” Deke muttered to himself, but Finn didn’t seem to hear him and was lost in the story of the past.  
“Anyway, Palpatine’s plans were thwarted in the form of my best friend, Rey Skywalker, his long-lost granddaughter. She along with Leia, managed to pull Ben back to the light through their love for him. Together, Rey and Ben formed the prophesied dyad in the Force, a powerful connection unseen for thousands of years. Palpatine now had another potential vessel in his granddaughter but she managed to defeat him with the help of Ben who delivered the final blow, finishing what his grandfather had started all those years ago. Of course, Rey and Ben were married after that and they had a son whom they named Han Solo Skywalker, after Ben’s father. Han Skywalker was Lady Amenia’s father…” Finn said, trailing off. Deke noticed Finn never called “Amenia” by her true name: Jaina. If that was even her real name.  
“Hold on. Hold on…Rey _Skywalker_? But she was Palpatine’s granddaughter. Why did she take Anakin’s last name? Wasn’t he Ben’s grandfather? They weren’t related, were they?” Deke asked, confused and slightly horrified. Finn frowned at him.  
“ _Of course not_. And she didn’t take Anakin’s last name, she took Luke and Leia’s name because they both mentored her. They were her Jedi Masters and taught her the ways of the Force,” Finn told him, annoyed.  
“So…all Jedi take the last names of their mentors?” Deke asked  
“No. No they do not. She just felt connected to the Skywalkers. It was her found family and a way to honour their memory. Why you gotta be so difficult, kid?” Finn replied, rolling his eyes in irritation.  
“But Leia’s last name was Organa.” Deke said. Finn glared at him.  
“Look, she had her reasons. Are you saying that family is only defined by blood?” Finn shot back. Deke remained silent. He thought about his family at S.H.I.E.L.D. Sure, FitzSimmons were his blood but he felt connected to everyone else as well.  
“No. I guess not. So, it was her way of honouring the good in Ben Solo as well as her found family,” Deke said. Finn nodded at him, still a little peeved.  
“I still don’t get what this has to do with the Skywalker crystal. And what even _is_ a kyber crystal?” Deke asked.  
“A kyber crystal is a lightsaber crystal. It is a living crystal that is rare and attuned with the Force. As part of their training, Jedi Younglings would go to crystal caves to undergo this test. If they pass, a crystal will choose them, and they can begin to construct their own unique lightsaber. About what this has to do with the Skywalker crystal, as I said, I don’t have all the answers but if I had a guess, that kyber crystal is special and only calls to true Skywalkers as they are the representation of all the Jedi and hence the light. It first called to Anakin Skywalker and chose him. That crystal was in the Lightsaber he built, and he had it with him throughout the first half of his life, up until the Clone Wars and even his beginnings as Darth Vader. It was used to commit unspeakable acts and because of that, he lost it when he was defeated by his Master, Obi-Wan Kenobi, who took it from him. It was then passed on to Luke Skywalker who lost it in Bespin, on Cloud City, after a duel with Darth Vader. Eventually, it called to Rey because she was a true representation of the light even though Ben was the Skywalker, but he was clouded in darkness and therefore unworthy to wield it. It only came to him when Rey transferred it to him through their Force Bond and he used it to defeat the Emperor,” Finn explained.  
“How do you know so much about the Skywalkers and their history? Are you a Skywalker?” Deke asked, curious. Finn smiled.  
“No, I’m not a Skywalker. Throughout the years I’ve studied a lot about every Skywalker’s role in Galactic History. Their entire family has been chosen in some way and it relates closely to the mysteries of the Force along with the Whills and the midi-chlorians,” Finn said. Deke didn’t even want to know what a Whill was. His head was already overloaded with all this information that he didn’t even know could exist.  
“I don’t think they’re chosen though…I think they’re cursed...” Finn said, quietly to himself. His expression became sad once again. Deke chose not to respond to this and decided to change the subject instead.  
“Explains why Jaina couldn’t see it. The kyber crystal I mean. It was probably shielded from her because of her darkness. But why could I see it?” Deke asked.  
“Well, based on what you’ve told me, even those Jawas could see it and they stripped Anakin’s lightsaber down to get to it. You’re as ordinary as them,” Finn told him.  
“Gee, thanks.”  
“Hmm. I can’t begin to guess why Plagueis would want it but its definitely not for anything good, “Finn continued.  
“Plagueis. Is that the red demon from the glowy pyramid?” Deke asked and Finn nodded.  
“He was a powerful Sith Lord. He even managed to influence the midi-chlorians through his use of the dark side to create life. He died long ago but he placed his consciousness in a Sith Holocron – that glowing pyramid you saw – and managed to come back…” Finn said, trailing off. Deke got the impression that he knew how it happened and wasn’t willing to share it. He wasn’t about to let it go.  
“I think I have the right to know since I’m part of this now. I’m not saying that just because I slept with Jaina – “  
“You slept with Jaina?!” Finn exclaimed, appalled.  
“Uh…did I not mention that in my random ramblings the past three days we’ve been stuck together?” Deke said, chuckling weakly. Finn just looked furious.  
“No. You did not mention that. What in the world were you thinking?!”  
“Hey, I’d appreciate it if I wasn’t judged for the actions of my younger self, especially from some depressed old guy I barely know. The past should remain in the past,” Deke said, defending himself.  
“Your younger – this happened less than a week ago!” Finn angrily pointed out, still looking scandalized.  
“Well I couldn’t help it alright! I didn’t know she was serving some Sith Lord and I felt connected to her like no one else! And it’s not my fault that I’ve always had a thing for hot psychos!” Deke exclaimed. Once he said that about Jaina though, he immediately regretted it. For some reason he still cared about her even if she just used him and left him rotting in this cell for three days. He looked over at Finn who was rubbing his temples in exasperation.  
“She’s dangerous Deke. I wish it wasn’t true, but she’s dangerous,” Finn warned.  
“Look, as I said, I’m part of this now whether you like it or not. I know you trust me and if it’s worth anything, I can’t explain it, but I trust you too. Please, I have a right to know what’s going on and what happened to Jaina. Despite everything, I still care about her and maybe she’s not completely gone, and we can help her,” Deke said earnestly. Finn was silent for a long time.  
“I think I understand why she put you in here with me now. It could be…some part of Jaina wanted you to know her before she was ever Lady Amenia and I’m the only one left to serve as that reminder,” Finn finally said, turning to look at Deke.  
“So, her real name is Jaina. How do you know her so well? You were definitely close with her. Why would she put you in here in the first place?” Deke asked.  
“I do know her extremely well and she was like a daughter to me. As to why she put me in here…it’s because I was her Jedi Master and I failed her. And I will never forgive myself for that.”


	5. Chapter 5

20 years ago

“Listen Finn, I’m calling you because I don’t have anyone else to turn to. I’m sure I’ve been discovered. I’m taking Naya and Jaina away tonight. I can’t even confirm if they haven’t picked up this transmission.”  
“Han, wait for me. I can get Poe and a team to come and get you,” Finn said, extremely worried.  
“No! There’s no time! Look, I’ve just sent you an encrypted code that only you can access. You’ll be able to track Jaina wherever she goes. It’s a microscopic tracker and I’ve inserted it into my great grandmother’s Japor Snippet. I’ve told Jaina never to part with it because it’s a family heirloom and it’s unassuming enough to pass as a simple trinket,” Han said, calmly but there was a hint of desperation in his voice.  
“You think they’re coming for you today and you think they’re after Jaina?” Finn asked.  
“They’ve always been after me, you know that. All of this is because of me. My parents died trying to protect me and if they’re after Jaina as well…Naya and I will do everything we can to protect our daughter,” Han said. “All these years of hiding in exile and rejecting my Force Sensitivity…” Han continued, trailing off. There was a trace of wistfulness in his voice.  
“Why would the Sith Eternal want you?” Finn asked, thinking deeply.  
“I don’t know. Even my parents didn’t know the answer to that. I doubt it’s to bring Palpatine back. He’s gone. There’s no way he could come back…right?” Han said.   
Finn was still deep in thought, he had no answers and as far as he knew Rey had no answers either when she, Ben and Han were on the run from the Sith Eternal. The Resistance managed to gain a victory over the Sith all those years ago but by no means were they extinguished. Their cult has been growing and amassing in strength all these years. The New Republic has been gathering intelligence and an attack was highly anticipated which would inevitably lead to all out Galactic War once again. Finn sighed, his entire life he’s always been part of one war or another. He was getting too old for this. The galaxy has been war torn for more than one lifetime and it showed no signs of ever stopping.  
“Listen Finn, if…if something happens to Naya or me…promise me you’ll look after Jaina. She’s only five years old. She’ll need someone to be there for her,” Han said, sadness evident in his voice. This snapped Finn out of his thoughts.  
“Nothing is going to happen to you. You’ll be – “  
“No. No. Promise me Finn. And I know I rejected any Jedi training. It was to keep the Sith Eternal from ever finding me or my family, but you have to teach Jaina. I…it pains me to say this but…I sense darkness in her. I need you to steer her to the light. Promise me,” Han said, more urgently. Finn was silent. He was given a huge responsibility but if he was being honest, he would do anything for Rey’s son. He had his mother’s heart and overwhelming goodness in him.  
“Of course I promise, Han. I will look after her as if she were my own. But it won’t come to that. Once you get to the rendezvous point, I will transmit the coordinates of our New Republic base to you. Go there and Poe and I will meet you. You’ll be safe,” Finn assured him. The holo-image of Han nodded.  
“I…I can’t thank you enough, Finn – “Han began but suddenly there was a loud explosion in the background of the image and all Finn could hear was Naya screaming before the hologram cut off. Finn was horrified and tried to get the transmission back. All he could hear was static.  
“No! No! Han! Answer!” Finn screamed at the holoprojector but obviously nothing happened. He immediately raced to the command room where Poe and his commander were looking at strategies on how to counterattack the Sith Eternal if they began their assault.  
“General Dameron! We have an emergency! We have to leave now! The Sith, they’ve attacked!” Finn yelled, frantically. Poe was taken aback and raised his eyebrows at Finn.  
“General, calm down and elaborate.”  
“Poe, the Sith Eternal have gone after Naya, Han and Jaina Solo Skywalker. Whatever they want with them, we know it’s not good and it would definitely not bode well for the galaxy,” Finn explained. Poe looked extremely worried now.  
“You’re sure about this?”  
“I am, Poe. I can feel it. We need to help them, “Finn said.  
“Then I believe you. I’m coming too,” Poe said. He turned to face his commander. “Gather a team, we’re going on a rescue mission.”

***

Before long, they had gathered up a few soldiers in the short time they could spare and raced to the docking bay, taking off on the Millennium Falcon. This was a race against time, and they didn’t know what would be awaiting them. A stealth rescue mission was the best strategy for now. The Millennium Falcon was small and had good firepower to accomplish this. Finn thought back to the time when Han had given him the Falcon for safekeeping. It was the most recognizable ship in the galaxy and the Sith Eternal would surely find them if they flew around in it, so it was safe with the New Republic Navy. Finn was extremely worried. He begged silently that Han would be okay.  
“We’ll get to them in time,” Poe told Finn, seemingly able to read his mind. Finn was grateful for the assurance. He keyed in the encrypted code Han had given him into the navicomputer, plotting a course for whatever system Jaina was on so they could jump to hyperspace.  
“Jaina’s tracker shows that she’s on an Outer Rim planet called Moraband,” Poe said. As soon as he heard that, Finn’s blood went cold, and he was silent for a long while. Poe looked at him and knew immediately, based on his expression that the probability of their success just decreased.  
“What’s Moraband, Finn?” Poe asked. Finn stared at him in despair.  
“It’s the ancient homeworld of the Sith. We have to hurry,” Finn told Poe, desperation clear on his face.


	6. Chapter 6

Han was in agony. He could feel the throbbing in his head as he was dragged alongside his screaming daughter. All he wanted to do was crawl to her and embrace her, but he couldn’t even move. The blow to his head was hard and his vision was blurry. Where did it all go wrong? The last thing he remembered before ending up on this demonic planet was talking to Finn. They were rushing to get off-planet and Naya was getting Jaina ready. Naya. He was overwhelmed with grief as he thought about what they had done to his wife. Murdered her in cold blood, and he was powerless to protect her. The tears flowed freely down his face. He had to figure out a way to save Jaina.  
The Sith cultists dragging him and Jaina had finally stopped in the middle of a large Sith temple. He knew exactly where they were. They were in the Valley of the Dark Lords. There were large monuments which held the crypts of ancient Sith Lords of the past all around them. He and Jaina were in the Moraband execution chamber, a place where Jedi of the past were sacrificed. A hooded Sith Eternal cultist who seemed to be the leader, dragged Jaina to the edge of one of the crypts where there was some sort of opening at the edge of the tomb. She was kicking and screaming but the cult leader’s grip on her was too strong. It didn’t stop her though, she managed to turn her head and bite down hard on the man’s forearm. The man yelled in pain and hit her across the face. Seeing this, the rage clouded Han’s very being, and he was able to fight off the two Sith Troopers holding him in place. He rushed to the cult leader and punched him in the face. He managed to reach Jaina and held her tiny cowering form in his arms.  
“It’ll be okay. I’m here,” Han whispered to Jaina, gently wiping the tears off her face before he was dragged away by two other Sith Troopers. They punched him in the gut for good measure before forcing him to his knees. The cult leader had his hood down and his lip was bleeding from when Han punched him, but he didn’t seem bothered. He had his eyes closed and arms raised. The other hooded followers followed suit and they began chanting. The sarcophagus they were facing began to glow red. Han was chilled to the bone. They were preparing a resurrection ritual for a Sith spirit and he understood why he was here now. His body was going to be used as a vessel for it, but what did they want with Jaina? The leader suddenly stopped chanting and went over to Han, placing his palm on the top of his head, like he was blessing him, but Han knew it was anything but.  
“Your plan to bring Palpatine back will never work. I may have his blood running in my veins and we may be connected but I will fight, and I will not be a willing vessel,” Han said, with conviction. The leader smiled chillingly at him.  
“It is not Palpatine that we are bringing back. His return was just a means to an end for the Sith Eternal. We are bringing back Lord Plagueis,” he said. Han almost felt like throwing up.  
“No. You…can’t! Why do you need me then?”  
“The Sith have tried for generations to create an artificial dyad in the Force but they have always failed. Plagueis taught his apprentice everything he knew about it and Palpatine had tried to use that knowledge to create a dyad between himself and the Chosen One. As we know it failed, but what Palpatine never knew is that Plagueis had tried to create a dyad between him and his apprentice. It failed of course, but a connection was established,” the leader explained. He still had his hand on Han’s head.  
“So that’s why you need me. I’m a suitable vessel because I have Palpatine’s blood in my veins and Plagueis can use this connection to return,” Han said.  
“With the added bonus of being a direct product of an actual dyad created by the Force itself, coming from the direct bloodline of the Chosen One. He will be unstoppable.”  
“Why are you telling me this?” Han asked. The leader smiled.  
“Because we need your hate and your fear to consume you. We need you to be filled with the dark side.”  
“Well, you’ve failed. I am not afraid, nor am I filled with hate,” Han said. The leader then turned his head towards Jaina and began walking towards her.  
“In order for the ritual to work, we need a sacrifice. One that shares the same connection with Lord Plagueis. Blood for blood. A life for a life. And since you are needed alive as a vessel…” the leader trailed off, as he stroked Jaina’s cheek. He didn’t need to finish his sentence. Han knew exactly what the leader meant. His blood went cold, and his head fogged over, he couldn’t even remember what he was thinking. All he could think off was crushing the leader and feeling the life leave his eyes if he ever dared touch his daughter. Before he knew what he was doing, he grabbed the blaster from the Sith Trooper beside him and blasted whoever he could that was closest to him. He ran to Jaina and took hold of her hand, pulling her along with him as he ran.   
Sith Troopers opened fire on them with stun blasters and he turned around, shooting back, shielding Jaina from the onslaught. He saw the cult leader giving orders, but he looked almost bored, as if he wasn’t worried they’d ever escape. Han realised that they were indeed trapped here with nowhere to run. He reached the entrance to the temple, but he kept being assaulted with blaster fire. He started to despair, there was no way they were going to escape this.   
Just when Han believed this whole thing was futile, there was blaster fire and the sound of a lightsaber igniting behind him. They were shooting back at the Sith Troopers. He turned around and relief flooded him as he saw Finn and Poe and a handful of Republic soldiers come to their rescue. Finn was directing the Sith Troopers’ blaster fire back at them, while Poe was shooting at whoever he could reach. However, Han’s elation was short lived when he realised that this was it. This was the rescue party. A handful of soldiers and a lone Jedi against an army. There was no way they would make it.  
“Finn?! This is it?! We’re not gonna survive!” Han screamed at him, taking cover as he blasted troopers back.  
“This is all we could spare! We’re preparing for an all-out war with these fools!” Finn yelled back, amidst the blasts. This was not good. Han noticed Jaina, crouched down and trembling with fear. He crouched beside her and held her. He had to protect her. He stood up and pulled Finn beside him as Poe and the other soldiers tried to hold the troopers back.  
“Finn, you have to take Jaina and go. We can’t hold them. They plan to bring back Plagueis and they need Jaina as a sacrifice,” Han said urgently. Poe was beside them and nodded his agreement.  
“No, I need to be here to defend you. You won’t make it without a Jedi!” Finn protested.  
“You have to go! Please, protect my daughter. I can’t come with you; they’ll notice I’m gone. With us as a distraction, they’ll never see you sneak away,” Han told Finn.  
“You’ll die, Han!” Finn said, desperation in his voice. Han looked away.  
“Protect my daughter, Finn,” was all Han said as he turned back to the firefight and continued blasting troopers. He noticed Poe put a hand on Finn’s shoulders before he could argue, which silenced him. He knew deep down Han was right. Most of the soldiers they had with them were already dead. It was only Poe and two others left.  
“Daddy no! Please don’t leave me!” Jaina suddenly cried out. Her cries hurt Han’s heart.   
“Jaina. Be strong for me alright? Go with Finn. Remember what I always told you?” Han asked.  
“You’ll always be with me?”  
“I’ll always be with you my darling,” Han told her. She was still crying but she followed Finn out the temple, trying not to be seen. Han turned to Poe.  
“You have to defend them outside. I’ll hold the rest of them in here!” Han told him. Poe nodded and rushed outside with Finn. Han knew this was it. It was just him and the two Republic soldiers. He didn’t know their names, but he was grateful that they had volunteered to help him. They managed to blast as many soldiers as they could but in the end, the two soldiers were shot down. He knew he was next and braced himself, a trooper brought out a stun blaster and shot him down. He fell into unconsciousness before he even hit the ground.


	7. Chapter 7

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Warning. Major character deaths ahead.

They were being shot at from every direction and it was all Finn could do to keep Poe and Jaina from getting blasted. They were going to get overwhelmed. There was no way out of this. Poe suddenly grabbed Finn.  
“You have to get out of here. They can’t have Jaina. I’ll hold them off!” he exclaimed, shooting a Sith Trooper right in the face.  
“Are you intentionally being an idiot?! YOU’LL DIE!” Finn screamed at him while directing a blaster shot back at a Sith Trooper.  
“IF YOU DON’T GO, WE’LL ALL DIE!” Poe screamed right back. They managed to take cover from the blaster shots for the time being.  
“Poe, please I can’t…” Finn said, unable to finish the sentence. He couldn’t take any more of this.  
“I know. But you know you have to,” Poe said, gently placing his hand on Finn’s shoulder. Finn knew he was right but how could he do this?  
“Keep your promise, Finn. Keep Jaina safe,” Poe continued. Finn had tears in his eyes, but he couldn’t argue with Poe. He had a duty not just to Han but to the Republic. If Jaina was captured, there would be no hope. Only darkness. Finn grabbed the back of Poe’s neck and brought their foreheads together.  
“Go,” Poe said as he stood up and started blasting any Sith Trooper he could, throwing detonators at them and distracting them from the retreating figures of Finn and Jaina.  
Finn ran until he finally reached the Falcon and made sure Jaina was safe before entering the coordinates to the Republic Fleet. He refused to acknowledge his feelings or what had just happened, because he knew his sorrow would consume him to his very soul and his distraction would cost them their escape. His friends’ sacrifices would be in vain.  
Finally, Finn managed to activate the hyperdrive and they jumped to hyperspace. He sat there in silence for a long while before he turned to Jaina and saw her crying silently. He gave himself the permission to acknowledge what had just happened. He reached into the Force to feel Poe but all he could feel was emptiness. It was at this moment that he allowed the crushing sadness he felt to overwhelm him, and he broke down into tears.

***

Han regained consciousness and he saw the bodies of the Republic soldiers lying beside him. He glimpsed the unmoving figure of General Dameron to his right, a streak of blood coloured his grey hair. He had known General Dameron since he was a little boy and a single tear fell from his eye as he looked away.  
An Admiral of the Sith Eternal navy noticed he was awake and dragged him to the Sith leader who did not look happy.  
“What do we do now? Do we postpone the ritual?” The Admiral asked.  
“We can’t postpone the ritual, Admiral Tharen. Such things are not easily done!” The Sith leader sneered at him, annoyed. “We have to improvise. We still need a sacrifice for Lord Plagueis to regain his consciousness,” the leader continued.  
“We don’t have a vessel,” Admiral Tharen replied. The leader pulled out a Sith Holocron.  
“This will have to suffice. Prepare the sacrifice,” the leader said, and Han knew these were the last moments of his life. He was dragged in front of the crypt where the opening was still glowing red. His arms were bound behind his back.  
The Sith Eternal began chanting and the leader produced a large knife with a black blade. It was the Dagger of Mortis. Han wondered idly where they had obtained it as he was faced with his final thoughts. He accepted his fate as he would soon be one with the Force, like his wife and reunited with his parents once again. His last thought was of Jaina and her beautiful smile before the dagger was plunged into his heart.

***

Deke found it difficult to process after hearing everything Finn told him. He couldn’t imagine going through that much heartbreak.  
“Were you and Poe…close?” Deke asked. Finn didn’t look at him and instead stared ahead at the prison wall, deep in thought. Finally, he answered.  
“Yes. We were. And it was the most painful day of my life…” Finn said, trailing off. He was lost in thought again.  
“I don’t understand how Jaina could ever join Darth Plagueis and these evil crazies when they basically ruined her entire family!” Deke said getting angry.  
“You judge too harshly Deke. She was desperate.”  
“Desperate for what? Power? How could she do this?!” He felt appalled at Jaina’s willingness to align herself with these people. Her father had sacrificed his life for her. Finn just sighed sadly.  
“Any parent can get desperate when it comes to their children,” Finn said quietly. Deke was stunned into silence.  
“Wh…what?”  
“No parent should ever be forced to bury their child,” Finn continued as Deke stared at him in shock. He didn’t know what to think anymore.


	8. Chapter 8

“Jaina…had a kid?” Deke asked, confused as all heck. Finn nodded solemnly.  
“Yes. His name was Cade Solo Skywalker. But he died just under three years ago.” Finn told Deke. “He was barely five years old,” Finn continued, looking away.   
“How did he die?”   
“I’m not sure of that myself. One day, Jaina took off with her son, she said Cade’s father had made contact and she was going to see him. I don’t know what happened, but I could feel her anguish and pain through the Force. It was unbearable. I just knew Cade was gone. I couldn’t feel his presence through the Force anymore. That was the last time I saw her. I was so worried, and I tried reaching out to her, but she just…disappeared. Then, a year later “Lady Amenia” emerged. She was responsible for so many deaths across the galaxy. Her involvement in the war turned the tide in favour of the Sith Eternal. It’s all the Republic can do to keep their forces at bay,” Finn explained.  
“You…you said Darth Plagueis found a way to influence the midi-chlorians to create life. Do you think…” Deke began to ask but didn’t know if he could finish that sentence. This level of absurdity was new to him. It couldn’t be true could it?  
“Do I think she joined Plagueis because her goal is to bring her son back from the dead? Yes, Deke. I believe she became his apprentice to learn this power for herself,” Finn explained, finishing Deke’s thought for him. Deke didn’t even know what to think.  
“Do you think it’s possible?”   
“I don’t know, but Amenia believes it is.”  
“She’s gotta know this Plagueis guy is using her! Come on! He even has an evil name! I mean, which good guy in the history of ever would call themselves _Plagueis_?” Deke exclaimed.  
“Hey, I tried telling her that. Why do you think I’m in here, kid?” Finn remarked.  
“So, you were the one who sought her out?” Deke asked.  
“Well, she intentionally made it easy to find her. She’s always been resourceful. I was stupid enough to fall for it,” Finn said.  
“Don’t blame yourself, she was like a daughter to you. And trust me, I know first-hand how…persuasive she can be,” Deke said. Finn scowled at him.  
“Yeah don’t remind me,” he muttered. Looks like Finn was still weirded out about Deke sleeping with Jaina.  
“So, she just wanted to keep you here?” Deke asked, changing the subject.  
“I’m the only Jedi left. I was Rey’s first and only student. She and Ben were supposed to start a new Jedi Order but then the Sith Eternal happened, and they were on the run and Han was in exile. I chose to stay with the Republic Fleet. I taught Jaina so she could pass on what she had learnt but Jaina is gone. She’s Lady Amenia now and Amenia’s only keeping me here because I’m useful,” Finn said. Deke nodded and sighed. Looks like they were both here until they weren’t needed anymore.  
“What does she want from you?” He asked  
“She wants the location to Ahch-To. Luke Skywalker was in exile there for a long time and there’s a large collection of Jedi artefacts and history that I have managed to collect all these years. There’s a lot of knowledge about the Force there as well. It was the birthplace of the ancient Jedi Order. She has not been successful in getting it out of me just yet,” Finn said. Deke could catch a hint of a smirk tugging at the corner of Finn’s lips.  
“You’re the only one who knows about this…Ahch-To?”  
“Yes.” Finn replied and didn’t elaborate but Deke caught something in his voice that made him think that wasn’t entirely true.  
“How could she do this? You _raised_ her. You taught her. You were _there_ for her,” Deke said, getting angry.  
“As I said, she’s desperate to get her son back, Deke. It has come to the point where Lady Amenia has consumed her. What’s left of Jaina is just a broken shell, fighting to be whole again,” Finn said.   
They sat in silence, both lost in thought. Deke was still processing all that he had learnt. He missed the S.H.I.E.L.D. team more and more. At least with them, the craziness that got thrown their way could be handled. He didn’t know how to handle this situation in the slightest bit. He also had no idea how to escape and made no progress with that wall panel. He could reroute the access point to redirect the opening from the inside of their cell, but he still needed some sort of code or key to actually open the door and there was no way to get it. He laid back on his bunk in frustration.

***

It had been quite a while since their talk and Finn was meditating in the corner. Deke was starting to get hungry and wondered when their food would get here. Just as he finished that thought, he heard a click and the door open. The Sith Trooper who was guarding their door entered and brought them two trays of some disgusting sludge and Deke made a face at it. At that moment, he caught a glimpse of something in the trooper’s hand. It was some sort of small cylindrical device and Deke was willing to bet this was what they needed to escape. It was now or never. As the trooper started placing the tray down on the floor, Deke pushed him back and slammed his head against the wall, knocking him out. Finn opened his eyes and raised his eyebrows, unimpressed. He didn’t look very happy.  
“You shouldn’t have done that. You should’ve been patient. If you were as smart as you were bragging to be, you would’ve found a good solution,” Finn reprimanded.  
“What do you mean? We’re getting out of here! Come on!” Deke said, grabbing the cylindrical device from the trooper’s hand.  
“This escape seems too easy, Deke,” Finn said, cautious. Deke rolled his eyes. He honestly didn’t care if it was a trap or not, he just wanted to get out of here.  
“Look, if we’re fast, we can make it to the escape pods before they notice anything amiss, and you can signal your Republic friends to come pick us up. It’ll be fine. But we’ve gotta be _fast_. You think those joints can get you moving, old man?” Deke said and smirked. Finn still did not look impressed, instead he stood up and stretched out his arm. For a moment Deke thought Finn was going to use his Force powers against him but instead he heard a loud thud behind him. A Sith Trooper that somehow managed to sneak up on them was lying unconscious against the wall. Finn had used some type of Force Push to incapacitate him. Deke was astounded.   
“You coming, kid? Or are you gonna stand there gaping all day?” Finn asked and ran out the door. Deke smiled in spite of himself and followed, right behind him.


	9. Chapter 9

They kept running and didn’t stop. Finn led the way, seemingly knowing where the location of the escape pods were. Fortunately, they didn’t seem to have tripped any alarms and had a clear path, but Finn remained hesitant and unconvinced. At the back of his mind, Deke did share his concerns somewhat, but he dismissed it. If they were fast enough, they could make it, and no one would stop them. They finally made it to the hangar and beside it were the escape pods. Finn stopped suddenly causing Deke to bump into him.   
“What’s the matter? The escape pods are right there!” Deke whispered frantically but Finn ignored him, seemingly frowning at something that wasn’t there. All Deke could see were a bunch of explosives stored nearby.   
“I have a bad feeling about this,” Finn said. Deke sighed.  
“Look, let’s just get to the escape pods. We’re so close.”  
Finn didn’t respond. Instead he turned to Deke and put his hand on his shoulder. Deke caught something in his eyes that he couldn’t quite place. As if what was going to happen next was inevitable.  
“Listen, I know my feelings and dreams were right. You’ve still got a part to play in all this, so I’m giving you a secret transmission that will get the Republic Fleet here. That code cylinder you got from the trooper, insert it into that wall panel over there and type in this specific code,” Finn said urgently, giving Deke the code.  
“Wait, why are you telling me this? You could do it yourself,” Deke said, getting slightly worried.   
“Just do what you’re told, kid. The Republic has been searching for me a long while. They will come,” Finn replied. “Although…I don’t think that’s a good thing at the moment,” Finn added quietly, almost to himself. Deke didn’t know what he meant by that but did as he was told. He inserted the code cylinder into the wall panel and punched in their coordinates, sending a coded transmission to the Republic Fleet. He turned around and Finn nodded his acknowledgement at him. Deke then opened up one of the escape pod hatches and made to get inside, positive that Finn was behind him. Unfortunately, he was wrong. 

Deke suddenly found himself frozen in place, unable to move. What was happening? He was immediately pulled backwards without warning and slammed against the wall. His entire back hurt as he tried to get up and he saw Jaina – Lady Amenia – standing over him.  
“Did you think it was that easy? You should’ve listened to Finn. You’re getting sent back to prison,” Amenia said.  
“Why’d you let us escape in the first place?!” Deke exclaimed, still in pain. His eyes were blurry, and his ankle might have been twisted.  
“The Republic ships are on their way, aren’t they? I knew the other person who knew about Ahch-To was a Commander under General Dameron and General Finn, long ago. And whoever it is would definitely come to Finn’s rescue now,” Amenia replied, not looking at him. Instead she was staring at her old master, who was standing there with Sith Troopers pointing their blasters at him. He was expressionless.  
“You’re truly gone, Amenia,” Finn said, still expressionless but Deke could feel the amount of sadness he was masking in his voice. Amenia didn’t look at Finn, instead she brought out another lightsaber from her cloak-dress and tossed it over to him. He didn’t tear his eyes away from her.  
“I’m more powerful now than you could’ve ever dreamed of, Master. It’s my destiny to confront you and I know I will defeat you. Pick up the lightsaber,” Amenia demanded.  
“Amenia, listen, Plagueis is using you. He is going to use you as a vessel, just like he planned to with your father. You don’t have to listen to him or fight me. Come home,” Finn said softly. The pain in his voice was apparent now.  
“I can prevent that. I am more powerful than he is. Once I learn all I need to from him…well I won’t need him anymore,” Amenia said. “Pick up the lightsaber, Finn,” Amenia said again, igniting her own. Despite the dire situation and the pain in his back, Deke couldn’t help but admire the crimson fiery blade she held in her hand. Finn didn’t move and Amenia directed the blade at Deke. He could feel the heat emanating off it, mere inches from his throat, and his heart almost stopped. Getting sliced by that blade would not be a painless way to go.   
“Pick up the blade or Deke dies,” Amenia said. Finn looked at her in anger and picked up his lightsaber, igniting the emerald blade within. Amenia removed the lightsaber from Deke’s throat and directed the blade at Finn while the Sith Trooper directing their blasters at him, turned them towards Deke instead. This was getting better and better.  
Finn and Amenia stared at each other for a moment before she rushed at him and aggressively brought her blade down on him. He managed to block her attack, resulting in fiery sparks crackling from the meeting of their two blades. Deke had to do something; he knew Finn would not be able to keep up with her increasingly violent swings. He made to crawl towards the bombs, but a Sith Trooper kicked him in the stomach and he momentarily lost his breath and eyesight from the pain. Where was Daisy when he needed her? Or FitzSimmons with their big brains. Or Mack with his shotgun-axe. Or Yo-Yo with her super-speed. Or May, who could decimate these Sith fools with ease. Or Coulson who had the answers to everything. All he could do was helplessly stare as Amenia sent aggressive stroke after aggressive stroke down on Finn. It was all he could do to parry her blade and was now on his knees. He looked up breathlessly at her as she raised her blade up high, prepared to deliver the final blow.  
“This is the end for you,” Amenia said unfeelingly, but Deke could swear he heard a slight crack in her voice. He couldn’t let Finn die like this and he did the only thing he could think of at that moment. As Amenia brought her blade down, Deke threw the code cylinder right at her and it hit her square in the eye. She cried out in pain, distracted, which allowed Finn to block her blade and strike a blow near her wrist, causing her to drop her lightsaber in agony. It landed near Deke’s feet and he immediately grabbed it and managed to ignite it, simultaneously slashing the two Sith Troopers that were holding him at blaster point. That’s when chaos ensued. 

Sith Troopers were shooting left and right, and it was all Deke could do to avoid the blasts. He had to get to the escape pods. He managed to rush to the one with the open hatch, but Finn wasn’t with him. Again. Deke sighed in frustration and turned around to look for him. That’s when he saw Finn and Amenia engaged in some weird Force battle where they were both trying to Force Push each other. Despite her bleeding wrist, Amenia was winning and it was all Finn could do to stay on his feet. Deke rushed to them and saw Finn’s lightsaber lying on the ground. At that moment, one of the Sith Trooper commanders, wearing a pouldron ran into the chaotic room and announced that there was a New Republic Star Cruiser coming out of hyperspace. Unfortunately, it also began shooting at them, which shook the Star Destroyer. This distracted Amenia for a moment which allowed Finn to get the upper hand for two seconds before she Force Pushed him against the wall. There was a sickening crack as Finn’s form crumpled to the floor. Deke wanted to run to him, but he was frozen in place again, with Amenia walking towards him.  
“Deke…please don’t make this difficult. Don’t resist and let us take you in,” Amenia told him. Deke had enough of this. He ignited Amenia’s crimson blade and slashed her with it, with the intension of wounding her. She shrieked and fell to the ground. There was a nasty bleeding red burn that ran from her left cheek to the middle of her chest. It would definitely leave a nasty scar. Deke realised that the Japor Snippet and Skywalker Kyber Crystal on its chain was cut down from her neck. He immediately grabbed it and ran to Finn who was thankfully still breathing and able to move but he didn’t look too good. His head was bleeding and Deke just knew a few of the old man’s ribs were cracked if not broken.  
Deke helped Finn up, but he immediately felt the crystal being pulled away from him and he lost his balance. Amenia was using the Force to pull the crystal to her. Deke tried his best to hold on to it but Amenia was too powerful. She was going to get it and Deke was going to die, but apparently Finn wasn’t going to allow that to happen. He summoned his lightsaber to him with the Force and rushed at Amenia, who had to expend all her power to stop the lightsaber blade from running her through. Unfortunately, at that moment, another blast had come from the Republic ship which shook everything around them. Amenia was hurt and tired, but she managed to get the upper hand on Finn, her immense anger and hatred apparent on her face. She started Force choking him and it was all he could do to breathe. Deke ignited Amenia’s lightsaber blade once again but instead of rushing at her with it – which he knew she would anticipate – he threw the lightsaber at the bombs near the hanger. The explosion was so massive, Deke was surprised he wasn’t killed.   
Deke was thrown back towards the escape pods and slammed into the wall hard, Finn’s lightsaber landing beside him. Finn was on the ground as well along with Amenia. There was a massive hole in the hull and Sith Troopers were being sucked out into space left and right. It was all Deke could do to hang on. Luckily, one of the Admirals managed to raise the shields and they were safe for the time being. Deke grabbed Finn’s lightsaber and helped him up, slowly making their way to the escape pods. He got in first, assuming Finn was right behind him, but he wasn’t. Again. Why was it so hard to get his old butt into the escape pod? He turned around and saw Finn, again in a Force Push battle with Amenia. There was no way he could hold on this time. Deke immediately activated the controls on the escape pod.  
“FINN!! COME ON! WE HAVE TO GO! LEAVE HER!” Deke screamed at him. Finn didn’t turn to look at him. Deke shouted at him again to get into the escape pod. This time Finn turned at the expense of turning his back on Amenia who grabbed her miraculously unharmed lightsaber beside her. It probably took a lot to destroy a weapon like that. Deke’s warning got caught in his throat when Finn violently pushed his escape pod out into space, using the Force. It was all Deke could do to quickly close the hatch before he was sucked into space as well. The last thing he saw was Amenia plunging her red blade into Finn’s heart as he fell to the floor, never to move again. Deke was consumed with horror with what he’d just witnessed. He was frozen in place, clutching Finn’s lightsaber in one hand and the Japor Snippet and kyber crystal in the other. He couldn’t even move when his escape pod was rescued by the Republic Star Cruiser. All he could think about was Finn sacrificing himself to save him. This was all his fault.


	10. Chapter 10

The Lighthouse

FitzSimmons had basically figured out that the jump drive could transport someone through space as well as time and the most prevalent theory was that Deke was not in their galaxy, let alone their time. This gave rise to a whole new set of problems on how to locate him without even thinking about how they were going to bring him home. It had already been two weeks and Fitz seemed to get more and more frustrated. Daisy was wary of this as she knew first-hand what a stressed out, lack-of-sleep Fitz could do. Thankfully, Simmons was there to keep him in check as he wrote equation after equation on the board. Coulson had tried to help, giving them new suggestions with his new Chronicom hardware helping him understand the problem. Unfortunately, they were at a stalemate.

For now, Fitz was just tinkering on the jump drive while Simmons stared at the equations she’d written on the board. Coulson was accounting for everything that could go wrong with the new theories they had come up with. It was really not promising. Daisy tried to help as much as she could on the coding front, running simulations as well as giving them moral support, but there was not much else that could be done. Simmons gave up staring at the equations and walked over to Daisy.  
“It’s not even been a month after we defeated Izel with resonance frequencies and now we’re working on another impossible problem. But this is something I don’t think we can solve. I wish we could just have a break,” Simmons said sadly. Daisy silently put an arm around her shoulders, agreeing with her. Suddenly, she noticed Fitz stiffening and staring straight at Simmons. Daisy could practically see the wheels turn in his head.  
“That’s it! Ugh! I can’t believe we didn’t think of this before! The solution was staring us right in the bloody face!” Fitz exclaimed, hitting his forehead repeatedly with his palm. Simmons rushed to him to calm him down.  
“Fitz what do you mean?”  
“Resonance frequencies!” He exclaimed excitedly. At that moment, Simmons seemed to have got it as well and laughed, equally excited as Fitz. Coulson walked over to them.  
“Ah! Of course. I see what you mean, guys. That’s ingenious Fitz, good job!” Coulson complimented him, smiling. He seemed to have arrived at the same conclusion as Simmons. Daisy didn’t understand what the hell was going on.  
“But we can’t get overconfident though. We’ve got to run simulations and see if it works,” Simmons told Fitz. He nodded at her.  
“Yeah we’ve gotta change the calibrations – “  
“– lock on to his frequency – “  
“– find a way to track him as well – “  
“– that shouldn’t exactly be a problem – “  
“Hey guys! Time out!” Daisy exclaimed. “I don’t have a super brain, so please explain what you guys are so happy about,” she continued, confused as ever.  
“Remember those Sonic Barrier Cuffs we developed that worked almost the same way as the Shrike knives?” Fitz asked Daisy.  
“Yeah of course. If Deke hadn’t developed those, we’d all be Shrike fodder right now,” Daisy said.  
“Well, it works on resonance frequencies, right? If we could somehow modify it and upgrade the jump drive to detect specific frequencies as well, we wouldn’t need it with us to jump anywhere through time and space. We could just activate it remotely and it will lock on to our frequencies and transport us,” Fitz explained.  
“Right but how are we going to lock on to Deke’s frequency?” Daisy asked.  
“Remember Sarge’s Shrike detection device? He was after Deke because he had unique readings and thought he was a Shrike. Those readings were different because Deke belongs to an alternate universe, so he’s got a different resonant frequency. We could modify Sarge’s device and use its data to detect Deke’s unique readings when we activate the jump drive. It will lock on to his frequency and pull him back right here,” Simmons said, beaming. Coulson was silent for a moment before smiling as well.  
“I’ve calculated the probability of success for this – isn’t it cool that I can do that now, by the way – this could work guys. It’s the most probable solution,” Coulson said. Daisy couldn’t pretend to fully understand what was going on but if Fitz and Simmons believed this could work, then she was glad as well. Fitz, Simmons and Coulson immediately started formulating ideas and working on Fitz’s theory. They’d have Deke back in no time.

***

It had been a couple of days – at least Deke assumed it was a couple of days – since the Republic Star Cruiser had rescued him. He was greeted by Commander Mira Syndulla. She was young and tough, with green hair and green eyes. There was also a tinge of green on her elfish-like pointy ears. She recognized that Deke was in shock and commanded some of the Republic troopers to find him empty quarters to rest in. She saw him clutching Finn’s lightsaber and he knew she recognized it, but she didn’t ask about it. He was grateful for this. However, Deke knew he wouldn’t be left alone for long. They would definitely want to know what had happened to Finn and he would have to brief the General – whoever he was – on what had happened. Unfortunately, that time was now.

He made his way to the command centre, escorted by two Republic troopers. Even though it didn’t look like it, Deke felt he was a prisoner on this ship, and he just about had enough of it. He wanted to clear up any confusion and try finding his way back to Earth. He couldn’t take any more of this crazy, messed up galaxy. Deke finally reached command and was greeted by Commander Syndulla.   
“How are you doing Deke?” She asked.  
“Okay…I guess?” Deke said. Commander Syndulla nodded. Deke just felt emotionally drained. He figured he might as well just tell her where he’s from and what he’s doing here. He was just so tired of being used, of second guessing everyone or finding someone he could trust, but then loosing them immediately after. She was going to ask him about it anyway. He didn’t know if he was supposed to wait for the General to join them before speaking, but honestly, he just didn’t care.  
He opened his mouth and everything that had happened came gushing out. He just wanted this to be over and he wanted to go home. He couldn’t stop himself even if he wanted to. Commander Syndulla didn’t interrupt him, so Deke continued, telling her how he’d got here and where he’d come from as well as his first meeting with Amenia. Commander Syndulla just listened quietly, staring at him with those green eyes. He caught a glimpse of sympathy in them when he talked about his feelings for Lady Amenia and how she had used him. He told her everything that Finn had told him, including his story about Han, the Force, the Skywalker family and even about Ahch-To. Deke then told her how Finn had given him the secret transmission to get the Republic Fleet there to save Deke before Amenia murdered him. Retelling that part to Commander Syndulla almost caused Deke to have a breakdown but he managed to compose himself and took a deep breath, calming his tumultuous emotions…for now.  
Deke finally finished his story and reached for Finn’s lightsaber that he had fastened to his belt and made to pass it to Commander Syndulla, but she didn’t take it. Instead, she turned to look at someone behind her. How could he have not noticed someone standing there this whole time? The man walked forward, and Deke’s blood went cold. He’d recognize these creatures anywhere, no matter which galaxy he was trapped in.  
“That’s an insightful story, Deke Shaw,” the man said. Deke didn’t reply. Commander Syndulla decided to break the silence.  
“Deke, this is Raulk Kasius, General of the 605th New Republic Legion,” she introduced him. Deke was still silent, staring up at him. The General was Kree.


	11. Chapter 11

A lot of things went through Deke’s mind the moment the General spoke, and none of them included him leaving here with his life. Before anyone could react, Deke abruptly grabbed one of the Republic trooper’s blasters and aimed it at Kasius. Everyone moved at once, Commander Syndulla immediately pointed her blaster at him along with about ten other troopers. Deke didn’t care. The only thing stopping him from shooting Kasius point blank was the fact that he too would be dead as soon as he released the blaster shot.  
“So, you’re a Sith Eternal spy. Lower the weapon and you get to keep your life,” Kasius said. Deke frowned at him.  
“I’m not a spy. You should look to yourself. You’re Kree. Maybe you’re what’s causing the Republic’s overwhelming defeat,” Deke hissed. Kasius stared at him for a moment before gesturing for his troops to lower their weapons. Commander Syndulla began to protest but Kasius silenced her with a look, and she obeyed his orders, signalling the rest of the troopers to lower their weapons as well. If Kasius thought this would actually trick him, or worse: win his trust, he was dead wrong. Deke wasn’t about to lower his weapon.  
“You have something against the Kree,” Kasius said, matter-of-factly. Deke didn’t respond right away. He kept his eyes on Kasius, anticipating some sort of ruse. Maybe this whole ordeal Deke went through was some type of messed-up experiment orchestrated by the Kree. He shoved that thought out of his mind. If that were true, he might as well just give up right now. He couldn’t deal with any more crazy.  
“The Kree were responsible for all the pain I had to endure in my life,” Deke spat at him. Kasius didn’t respond and only frowned.  
“Your family – your descendant – ruined my life and destroyed my family. My parents were murdered, and humans were enslaved,” Deke continued. At this, Kasius’ eyes softened, and it looked as if he felt sorry for him. It made Deke seethe with rage he didn’t even know he possessed.   
“Lower your weapon, Deke,” Kasius said, authoritatively. Deke ignored his command.  
“Lower your weapon or I’ll lower it for you,” Kasius said again, this time with an underlying threat that it would not be in Deke’s best interest to cross him. Deke knew he had no choice but to obey and he slowly lowered the blaster. It was immediately grabbed by two troopers and he was tackled to the ground, hard.  
Kasius bent down and picked up Finn’s lightsaber that had tumbled to the floor in the midst of their confrontation while Deke was pulled off the ground and made to stand up. His hands were immediately bound behind his back. “Thank you, for bringing this back, Deke,” Kasius said, facing him. He sighed and the sadness was overwhelmingly apparent in his voice. Deke wasn’t about to fall for it.  
“You don’t deserve to touch that lightsaber!” Deke yelled. Commander Syndulla pursed her lips at him but he didn’t care. Kasius continued staring at it.  
“Deke, you’ve only known Finn for a few days. I’ve known him my entire life. He was one of my closest friends and I trusted no one more than I trusted him,” Kasius explained. This actually gave Deke pause and he silently frowned at him. Kasius had more right to that lightsaber than he ever did.  
“If Finn trusted you enough to sacrifice his life for you then I trust you as well and you will be treated as one of our own, regardless of what you think of me,” Kasius said and gestured for the troopers to remove the binders on Deke’s wrist. He was taken aback at Kasius’ words but continued to stay silent as a million confusing thoughts raced through his head.  
“Give him a room to rest and bring him some food and proper clothes. Treat him well,” Kasius commanded the troopers. Deke blinked at him.  
“Gather your thoughts, Deke, and get some rest. Try and remember if there’s anything else you can tell us about the Sith Eternal. We still have much to discuss,” Kasius continued. Deke didn’t know how to respond and was glad he didn’t have to as he was immediately marched out the door by the Republic troopers. He had a lot to think about.

***

Deke didn’t know how long it had been since his “talk” with Kasius and Commander Syndulla at command. All he knew was that there were two troopers outside his door, and he was confined to this small, albeit comfortable room. So much for being “treated well” when he wasn’t even allowed his freedom.  
He did drift off into an uncomfortable sleep for a little while but that didn’t last long as his thoughts were plagued with everything that had happened. He tried his best to put her out of his mind, but he couldn’t help thinking about Jaina. How was he so wrong about her? To be fair, his initial instincts were cautious, but something about her just disarmed him. Her sad eyes and her beautiful smile. He vaguely remembered her crying when they first met. It was silly to think about now, but she made him comfortable and seemed to understand his need to belong and his willingness to try and find some sliver of happiness to hold on to. Based on what Finn told him about her, they definitely had shared trauma. Deke felt a pang in his chest when he thought of Finn. He had to die to save him all because Deke made the mistake of trusting Jaina. Their supposedly shared connection was probably just a ruse. Deke sighed. Why did he have to screw up everything he touched?   
Deke reached into his pocket and gripped the Skywalker crystal he had cut from Jaina’s neck. For a reason he couldn’t explain, he felt connected to it. He wasn’t a Skywalker and he definitely wasn’t a Jedi but there was something about it, like a feeling he couldn’t place into words. He thought of what Finn said about him still having a part to play. Whatever that part was…Deke could only guess. He just wanted to go home. Unfortunately, at this point, that seemed highly unlikely. 

There was the sound of voices outside Deke’s door and he recognized Commander Syndulla. He immediately sat up as she entered the room. She didn’t look very happy to see him. Deke suspected his confrontation with Kasius really lowered her opinion of him. He smiled sheepishly at her, but she ignored him. Instead, she reached towards her belt and unfastened Finn’s lightsaber.  
“The General said you should have this,” Commander Syndulla began. Deke was taken aback.  
“Me? Why me?”  
“I’ve asked him the same question. He just said that it was the will of the Force, “she replied. She didn’t seem too happy about it and remained aloof, but she handed him the lightsaber, regardless.   
“The will of the Force? So, Kasius is a Jedi?” Deke asked.  
“No. But he has done a lot of research on the Jedi of old and he has helped Finn gain a better understanding of the Force and the Skywalker Family,” Commander Syndulla explained.  
“So, he’s who Lady Amenia is looking for. The other person who knows the location to Ahch-To,” Deke said, putting two and two together. Commander Syndulla nodded in confirmation.   
“Why does she want to get to Ahch-To so bad?” Deke asked.  
“Well, Finn and General Kasius have managed to gather old manuscripts as well as ancient Jedi and Sith secrets which they hid on that island. It includes Holocrons from the old Jedi Order as well as lost lightsabers and other old texts. That island is also…special. It has a strong connection to the Force. It’s definitely a lot of knowledge and power, which I suspect would be extremely useful to Amenia especially if she’s planning to double cross her Master,” Commander Syndulla said. Deke was silent for a beat, looking at the lightsaber in his hand.  
“I don’t think I should have this,” he said softly. Commander Syndulla frowned at him.  
“I agree, but for some reason, Finn trusted you, so the General trusts you too and he believes giving you the lightsaber somehow honours Finn’s sacrifice,” Commander Syndulla said, not looking at Deke. She really wasn’t happy with him, but she was still willing to put her personal feelings aside and respect Kasius’ authority, remaining loyal and putting her duty first. Maybe he was a little quick to judge the General just because he had the same name as his horrible descendant. Deke figured he owed Commander Syndulla an apology for his behaviour.   
“Listen, Commander Syndulla, I’m sorry for what I did before. It’s just…my future wasn’t exactly full of happiness and when I saw a Kree and heard his name was Kasius…his family was responsible for all our suffering,” Deke said, imploring her to understand. She stared at him for a while, her expression still a little hard, but then, her eyes softened, and she sighed.  
“You unfairly judge someone you don’t know, Deke. He’s a good man and a great General. If it’s worth anything, he’s the kindest and fairest person I’ve ever met. You can’t fault him for things he has no control over,” she said. Deke was silent. She was right, of course and he knew he overreacted.  
“I’m sorry,” Deke replied, not knowing what else to say. He remained silent, gathering his thoughts as she watched him, her expression unreadable.  
“So Kasius is the General of the 605th Legion? You have 605 legions?” Deke asked as a way to change the subject. Commander Syndulla cracked a smile.  
“Well, not exactly. It’s really just a formality since we have adopted some battle techniques from the Clone Wars, but we mostly go by cells now, following the strategies from the Rebellion way back in the Galactic Civil War. So, we’re just called the 605th New Republic Cell – not that we have that may troops of course,” Commander Syndulla explained. Deke didn’t even pretend to understand. The most he got from that was this galaxy has been war-torn for far too long.  
“Listen, Deke, is there anything else you can tell us about the Sith Fleet? They’ve been growing in power and they have managed to take over several important planets under New Republic rule. You were in the lead Star Destroyer. Did Amenia let slip anything we could use?” Commander Syndulla asked seriously.   
“I’ve told you everything I know. I think this whole war and whatever she’s doing for Plagueis is just a means to an end for Amenia. I think she just wants to get her son back,” Deke explained. Commander Syndulla was deep in thought but she nodded.  
“Well, regardless. You managed to deal a blow to them by destroying the lead ship. It would take them a couple months at least to regroup and rebuild. It gives us some breathing room, so well done on doing _something_ right,” Commander Syndulla said and smirked as she made her way to leave the room. Maybe she was warming up to him after all. Deke smiled back at her.  
“Take good care of that,” she said to Deke as an afterthought, indicating the lightsaber in his hands. Deke turned to look at it before looking back at her, but she was already gone.  
Deke sighed. What was he going to do with a lightsaber? It’s not like he could actually use it in any way. It took him a lot of focus just to prevent the blade from burning him the last time he ignited it. There was no way he could use it as a weapon. He was no Jedi. He placed it on a small stand beside his bed along with the Skywalker crystal and Japor Snippet. It was somewhat like a tiny shrine to honour Finn’s memory. It was the least he could do for him. Deke rubbed his forehead as he laid back on the bed. He closed his eyes and drifted off into yet another restless sleep.


End file.
